Australian Hardcore is officially out of the bag. Once the nation's best kept secret, the mainstream has been forced to take notice of the massive underground scene that has been taken to new heights both locally and internationally with the success of bands like Parkway Drive, The Amity Affliction and Dream On Dreamer. And as the music industry struggles to make sense of exactly where it all came from (and how they can get involved), hundreds of young bands are already making headway into becoming the next success to be born out of the scene.

But while many of the bands are content to merely become another copycat of the genre's successful acts, the truly inspirational ones are carving out their own path with their own take on the ever evolving sound.

In that regard, Northlane are one of (if not the best) new band out there. Combining a ferocious live show, an unwavering message and a passion-before-fashion approach to their aesthetic, Northlane has everything that makes heavy music powerful - the raw energy of hardcore, the technical proficiency of metal and the attention to detail in their songwriting. While the metal / hardcore crossover has been present in the scene since the mid eighties, in 2011 it's rare to find such a refreshing take on the mix.

"As a musician, listening to progressive metal can be mind-blowing," says guitarist Josh Smith, "it has so much to offer in the way of how you approach doing what you do. Metal is about more than musicianship though, through history and in a parallel to the punk movement it's been all about rebellion and standing up for what you do or don't believe in. It's heavy and sometimes that's what you need to get through life, which can be pretty crap sometimes. The most awesome thing about hardcore music is the raw emotion you hear in it, and how convicting the message in the music can really be, it really makes you feel something. We love both these aspects from each genre, and along with a whole lot of other stuff we try to combine it all into a formula that works for us."

Forming in 2008, the young Sydney five piece has spent the last five years carving out an enthusiastic fanbase all across Australia. Without doing any big supports, they've managed to become a headline act in regional and city centres via word of mouth talk and live shows that look and sound fit for arenas. As Smith explains, this was done both out of necessity and love for what they do.

"As a band we were never handed anything in the first 2 years after we formed, but we didn't let a lack of opportunity hold us back when it came to reaching the audience we knew we had to reach in order to take our passion further. We couldn't hire out a van because we were too young (and still are) so we bought our own. We didn't have an agent or support slots, or connections to help us get shows so we did it ourselves, booked our own tours and met a lot of really cool people in the process. One of them became our booking agent, dozens of them became close friends and at the same time we managed to create a small but loyal fanbase which has really grown a lot in the last year. We really care about each single person that's ever supported us and with the extensive regional touring we've done, we try to service everybody, sometimes in places where other bands don't bother playing. Financially this has all been pretty hard but for us it was the right recipe and we could never thank those people enough that have helped us reach where we are now and will continue to support us into the future."

Earlier in 2011, Northlane settled to record their debut album, "Discoveries". Self-Produced and sent to the US to be mixed by Will Putney, the album immediately caught the attention of Australian powerhouse music company UNFD, who had already had bountiful success with the likes of The Amity Affliction, The Getaway Plan, Dream On Dreamer and I Killed The Prom Queen. A deal was subsequently signed, and a new relationship formed.

"Signing to UNFD has been almost surreal for us," gushes Smith. "There aren't many labels in Australia signing bands like us, but UNFD are carving a market of their own and going from strength to strength. Their track record is impeccable and it's humbling to be on a roster with such amazing bands. We worked so hard, for so long and were picked over for other bands and knocked back on countless occasions. We never let that dissuade us from what we love doing, we kept our heads down and luckily someone recognised that. We're looking forward to the future with great anticipation and we're so excited about finally being able to give this album to our supporters who've waited so long for it."

With the talent to match their enthusiasm, and the outlook of a band hell bent on carving out their niche, the new relationship and album should prove to make Northlane yet another Australian success to shock the mainstream.